


Wooing? Courting? Idk Her

by melodyoficeandfire



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Flirting 101, I browsed through Cosmo articles so much lmao what an experience, Jongdae is a terrible flirt, Jongdae radiates BDE, M/M, Obliviousness, Office Romance, Pining, Romantic Comedy, Wooing, but Minseok is very pretty so he'll do it anyway, can you imagine the number of tabs I have opened for flirting 101, cosmo magazine, except here it means Big DUMBASS energy, the things we do for love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:08:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22953097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodyoficeandfire/pseuds/melodyoficeandfire
Summary: Jongdae wishes there’s a foolproof manual on how to woo the love of his life. But since there isn’t one, asking Tao and Sehun seems to be his next best option.Well, he hopes they are.OrThe 5 times Jongdae used Cosmo magazine to win Minseok’s heart.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 43
Kudos: 105
Collections: SnowSpark Fest Round One





	Wooing? Courting? Idk Her

**Author's Note:**

> [Self-Prompt for the SnowSpark fest]
> 
> To the mods,  
> You guys were AMAZING. Thank you for letting me participate despite being very, very late to the party! Your words of encouragement really helped me a lot too, you have no idea. Thank you so much for organizing this fest. When I first saw this fest I never would've imagined I'd participate as a writer, yet here I am! Haha! 
> 
> My 🐿️,
> 
> Thank you for holding my hand all throughout the making of this fic. You are my rock ever since I started out writing again. Props to you for sticking with me despite the terrible flirting tips you've had to endure while we were brainstorming for this XD. Giggling inside the bus while you share your google results was such a good memory. I love you!
> 
> To J,  
> Your words of encouragement helped a lot in finishing the remains of this fic. You were lovely, thank you so much, ILY!

Jongdae swallows audibly, he's pretty sure he's never been more nervous in his entire 28 years of existence.

Okay, maybe that’s a lie, there was one time where he was trying to get his first job, or that one time he was trying to impress the parents of his first girlfriend-

The incoming footsteps from the hallway distract him from his nervousness, reminding him of his agenda.

He glances at his watch, it's 4:30 pm, almost the end of the workweek, and everyone is vibrating with the need to free themselves from the corporate ‘prison’ they call their office. What makes everyone even more restless is the fact that tonight, the management team will be hosting its biggest party for the year. A celebration after finishing the biggest project that they've been working on for years now.

More than that, it isn’t every day that Galaxy Enterprises, the most renowned PR firm in Seoul, throws extravagant parties exclusively for its employees. Wu Yifan, their CEO, has finally caved in after the incessant begging of Junmyeon and Baekhyun, or who were known as the dynamic duo from Marketing & Communications, and Media Relations.

With the stress that the company has endured because of Yifan’s brainchild, everybody is down to get shitfaced and hole up in their places all weekend afterwards.

But Jongdae, the director of Account Executives and Wu Yifan’s right-hand man, has bigger aspirations than that.

Tonight, he's _finally_ going to ask THE Kim Minseok, one of the company’s senior director, to be his date tonight.

That’s right, Kim Minseok better be ready for the force of nature that is Kim Jongdae.

He fiddles with his jacket and turns up the collar to boost his confidence. Nothing is going to stop him from finally having dinner and being the date of the most beautiful human being that ever graced their office.

"Jongdae."

He cards his hair through his fingers as he looks at his reflection in the window, making sure that not a hair is out of place. He's been fixing his hair for hours, and according to Baekhyun who helped him do his hair, it was impeccable.

He takes a deep breath. He can do this, how could anyone resist his noticeable kitten-like lips?

“Jongdae.”

He sniffs his wrists and collar, the cologne is spritzed just right, the proper amount that oozes the musky, sandalwood scent that makes all the ladies and gentlemen swoon-

“Hey, KIM JONGDAE.”

Jongdae is interrupted from his musings and looks at the source of the voice, “What is it Soo? Can’t you see I’m busy here?”

Kyungsoo, one of Jongdae’s closest confidant and the company’s COO, raises one of his eyebrows at him as he sips his water, “Being a creep outside someone's office door isn't exactly something I'd call being _busy_. Anyway, I just came to tell you that Minseok-hyung left 30 minutes ago while you were fixing your hair in the men's room with Baekhyun.”

Jongdae sputters and decides to peek at the little window near Minseok's office door. Sure enough, all the lights are closed inside, indicating that no one is inside the room anymore.

Ugh.

Jongdae would whack his forehead against the wall, but the janitor would probably lecture him again for leaving suspicious marks on the office assets.

Jongdae just can’t catch a break, can he?

\--

"Why does he have to be so hot and cute at the same time?" Jongdae slurs as he leans back on their couch where Kyungsoo and the rest of their friends are currently sitting.

Since the ‘date’ ( _"Inviting someone as their plus one doesn’t sound promising as a first date Jongdae"_ ) that he meticulously ‘planned’ ( _"You were freaking out for 20 minutes"_ ) went to bust, Chanyeol and Tao managed to talk him into attending the party instead, luring him with the promise that his precious little prince ( _"Minseok isn't that small Chanyeol"_ ) might attend tonight.

Jongdae wouldn’t put it past Chanyeol and Tao to invite him just for the sake of partying, but then again, he realizes that he’s very easy to bait lately, one mention of Minseok and he’s off.

Yifan's party is already in full swing, located at a luxurious penthouse not too far from their office. The speakers are blasting some pop-electric music that kept everyone busy on the dancefloor.

Except for Jongdae that is.

No, instead of being on the dancefloor, Jongdae is still nursing his whiskey, staring at the love of his life sexily swaying his hips on the dancefloor.

He groans a little as he sees a sliver of Minseok's skin when the leather jacket he’s wearing slips off his shoulder. He gulps when he notices that Minseok’s wearing a muscle shirt underneath, showing more skin than he’s able to handle. The skin-tight black jeans he's wearing aren't helping him at all either, Jongdae thinks as he eyes the sinful article of clothing that accentuates Minseok’s long lean legs.

Baekhyun arrives at their table carrying beers for everyone, he looks at Jongdae’s crumpled form on the couch as he hands the drinks to his friends one by one. After handing Kyungsoo the last bottle of beer, he asks, “Is he okay?”

Kyungsoo thanks Baekhyun as he takes the beer handed to him, "He’s probably having his own internal crisis about Minseok-hyung again."

Baekhyun perks up at this, “Oh my god, I can understand though. I mean, have you seen his smoky eyeshadow? Goddamn, our hyung is out to kill boys tonight.”

Jongdae swigs his drink and scowls at Baekhyun, “If you so much as breathe next to Minseok, I will end you.” It probably didn’t come out as threatening as he would like since his protests were muffled against the armrest he’s leaning on.

His friend only laughs at him, "Easy there tiger, it's not my fault I have eyes."

"You know Jongdae, why don't you make it less painful for everyone by just _-I don't know-_ actually approaching him? He’s literally right there," Kyungsoo asks. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen?"

“Uhhh say no? Laugh at my face?"

Baekhyun rolls his eyes, “And you all say I’m the drama queen.”

Kyungsoo nods, “So? You can easily find another date and move on. There are a lot of people in our office who are very willing to take you out to dinner.”

“That’s right Jongdae,” Chanyeol adds from where he’s sitting next to Tao, he just finished the beer he’s drinking and decided to move on to the snacks on their table. “There’s plenty of fish in the sea. And to be honest, I’m still confused to see you being dateless for a while now. What’s gotten into the Boy-Next-Door JD that everyone is swooning about?”

Jongdae rolls his eyes, “I'm just not interested okay?”

“Which means, he isn’t interested if it isn’t Minseok-hyung,” Baekhyun helpfully adds.

“Is Minseok-hyung even interested?” Chanyeol questions.

Jongdae hopes his muffled scream is understandable enough as an answer.

Sehun arrives and pats Jongdae gently while he whines.

Baekhyun, the asshole, laughs, “Tough luck buddy, with those arms and eyes, you’re going to be in some competition. He won’t be asking you out anytime soon with his line of admirers.”

Tao snickers as well, "It’s kinda refreshing to see this though. I mean, have you ever noticed how in all the dates Jongdae-hyung’s been to, he didn't take the initiative even once? Now that someone has finally caught his eye, said person ignores him."

"Wait, so you mean Jongdae doesn't do the asking?" Chanyeol asks.

Kyungsoo chuckles, “You’d be surprised with just how many he can reel in with his long eyelashes and catlike grin. If you pay attention, you'll realize that almost everybody wants a piece of Kim Jongdae."

Sehun whistles, “Wow, and Minseok-hyung is special because he hasn’t tried that? At all?”

He turns to look at Jongdae asking for confirmation, but evidently, Jongdae already lost interest as he looks at Minseok across the room.

Jongdae sees some asshole approach his dancing beauty, he doesn't know the guy, but he remember he's from Baekhyun’s team. Seconds later, the pair are now grinding effortlessly with the music. The asshole is wearing a sleeveless shirt, which he uses to his advantage, flexing his arms a little as he gathers Minseok by his hips.

He keeps on staring as Minseok trails his fingers along those arms, then older man holds the asshole's forearm and twirls him in time with the beat.

Jongdae grits his teeth, but he can't tear his eyes away, wishing he had the courage to approach Minseok just like that asshole did. He grips the glass of his drink a little tighter when Minseok suddenly laughs at something the guy whispered to his ear, but then he pulls away and catches Jongdae's eyes.

His breath hitches and the butterflies in his stomach go into overdrive as Minseok quirks eyebrows and smiles at him.

Dammit, Baekhyun wasn’t lying when he said that the eyeshadow was working to his favor. Jongdae wasn’t sure if his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw Minseok’s eyes shimmer just a little in his direction.

He hopes he doesn't look deranged when he returns Minseok’s smile, praying that the dim lights are working to his advantage.

There’s a sigh not too far from where he’s sitting, “He’s off to dreamland again.”

Jongdae looks at his friends, who are all wearing the same shit-eating grin as they look at him.

He coughs and looks at Sehun, trying to recall their conversation before he got distracted by the apple of his eye.

“Minseok-hyung is always nice to me,” he briefly explains to Sehun. 

Kyungsoo lifts an eyebrow, “But isn’t that the usual Minseok-hyung standard?”

“Nice how? Like ‘I wanna be your bro-kinda nice’? Or 'I’d like to hold your hand and suck your face/dick kinda nice?” Tao asks as his eyes sparkle with interest. 

“...what?"

“Please ignore Tao, he gets a little excited over these kinda things.”

“Well, he’s generally a nice person to everyone. But ever since I got the chance to work with him, he’s been so attentive to me, and it feels really, really great." 

Jongdae then tells how Minsok gives him boba tea when he’s highly stressed during peak season, and how it changes to Americano whenever he’s needed for an early morning meeting. How Minseok knows about his meetings, Jongdae doesn’t quite know yet.

“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ in there somewhere…”

“But that’s just it!” Jongdae whines, “I can't really tell if he's interested or just being friendly! It's infuriating!"

\--

The thing about Jongdae is that he never had to work hard in the romance department before. Known to be the ‘Boy Next Door’ of Galaxy Enterprises, with kitten-like lips, gentle & brilliant eyes, and warm personality, most of the people he's met fall over their asses just to have the chance to take him out to dinner or buy him a drink.

The people he’s been with were all pretty straightforward with what they want, whether a one night stand or a dinner date. Jongdae indulges because he thinks there’s enough love within him that he can share. He doesn’t always say yes, but Tao does have a point, he can’t remember the last time that he made the first move.

But then he met Kim Minseok, the most beautiful silver-haired spitfire he's met, who’s thrown him for a loop.

Yifan introduced Kim Minseok as the company’s newest senior director who will be in charge of their client's corporate events. Minseok is technically Luhan’s co-head of the Events department, but Yifan said that he’ll be working with Jongdae first for the next few months to get him better acquainted with their contacts. As the company's director for Account Executives, Jongdae knows the most important people.

Jongdae remembers that Yifan choked on his drink when he met Kim Minseok for the first time, the fucking traitor almost spilled his water everywhere because he was too busy laughing at Jongdae’s demise.

So maybe Jongdae was at a loss for words when Minseok smiled at him. But it’s not like he can help it okay? The man fluttered his eyelashes a little bit when he introduced himself, looking so bashful when he told them how he’s the oldest in the group, and 2 years older than Jongdae. Then he shyly asked the group to please take care of him.

Jongdae almost tripped on his feet after that introduction and he wanted to die on the spot. He found the finest man on earth and he almost embarrassed himself.

If his guardian angel is watching, it probably would’ve been sighing in defeat already.

It was supposed to be a fleeting infatuation, that’s how things usually work in Jongdae’s case. But because Jongdae had to work with Minseok closely, what started out as a pure infatuation just grew into a full-blown crush over time.

Minseok is so polite, respectful, and endearing. He insists on carrying all of Jongdae's things when they meet in the hallway on the way to a meeting. He randomly gives Jongdae vouchers from different ramen houses because he said he liked noodles one time. And does Jongdae like coffee? He knows this coffee shop that serves the best Americanos.

Jongdae’s been living on a cloud-nine, he’s never had a crush like Minseok in a long while, he’s milking the attention for all its worth.

His only issue is that not even once did Minseok ask him out on a date, ( _"Call me hyung, Jongdae”_ ) or even hinted that he's a potential romantic interest ( _“You’re my dongsaeng, of course I need to take care of you”_ ).

He really shouldn’t nurse his little crush like this, but moving on is such a hard concept to grasp at this point.

Minseok is so beautiful and so kind. He’s brilliant and sharp - having lead all projects he's assigned to success. He is also adorable, playful, friendly, and makes the most terrible dad jokes.

How can one man be so captivating? Jongdae wonders as he recalls that one time Minseok showed him pictures of his cat and his One Piece figurines.

He insists on talking to Jongdae all the time and along the way he thinks Minseok had developed an uncanny ability to find him even when he's holed up somewhere after a terrible meeting. More often than not, he is always successful in coaxing him out of his foul mood too. He keeps on asking what his weekend plans are, what he’s up to during Chuseok, if there is already a lucky person who'll be taking him out for Valentine’s Day, and Jongdae always holds his breath, waiting and waiting if Minseok will finally ask and _yet_ …it feels like he isn't even remotely interested to be that special person.

In Jongdae's spare time, his imagination alternates from going on a date with Minseok or strangling him because of sheer frustration.

He must have given him a hundred chances during all those conversations, _“It depends on who's asking, but I guess I could be persuaded”_ ; _“No, I don't have any plans yet, why?”_

Minseok just nods, and then proceeds to tell Jongdae about his own plans with his childhood friend Changmin about a ski trip for his bachelor's party, or that one time he took his cat Tan out on a walk because "Cats need their exercise too Jongdae!", does he want to join him and Luhan when they walk their pets?

For someone who doesn’t even own a pet, hates exercising, and being out of bed before 6 am, he finds himself considering the offer.

He wants to know everything about Minseok, wants to ask him all those awkward first date questions, wants to bring him all the Americanos in the world without being questioned for his motives.

He also wants Minseok stretched out in his bed, moaning Jongdae's name as he grips his bedsheets.

But for someone who has ‘skillfully’ dated and bedded girls and boys with just one smile, he finds himself not knowing how to express any of this to his silver-haired beauty.

He’s totally fucked, or maybe not, because he can't seem to imagine himself going out with anyone else in the foreseeable future.

He doesn't want to be with someone easy when Minseok is so unachievable, but somehow still within arms’ length.

"I’ve been dropping hints like there’s no tomorrow! But Minseok-hyung just ignores everything and proceeds to tell me about his cat or his latest One Piece binge, as if I didn’t just hint that I want to get down and dirty if he so much as expressed his interest.”

“Damn, you really wanna tap that ass huh?”

" _Yes_ , but in a nice way like…I want to hold his hands and take him out on long walks too."

"Oh my god, since when did Jongdae get so vanilla?"

"And you're making it sound like Minseok-hyung is a dog."

"You guys are assholes."

Sehun hands him a new bottle of beer when Jongdae finishes his last drink, "Hyung, it doesn’t always have to be like that.”

Jongdae looks at Sehun, the boy is wearing his thinking face on, one that he usually wears when he’s with Tao during their brainstorming sessions with the Creative team.

“What exactly do you have in mind, Sehunnie?”

Sehun shrugs, “I just think it's time for you to put on the big boy pants you've been deliberately ignoring now."

"What does that even mean?"

"It means it's time to woo the fuck out of Minseok-hyung. All that incessant staring isn’t clearly working in your favor anymore, so with a little help from me and Hunnie, you can finally get the chance to romance him so hard, he'll have no choice but to be the love of your life," Tao explains.

Sehun nods at this, then crosses his legs as he sits more comfortably on the couch. "Hyung, have you ever read Cosmo?"

\--

Jongdae has in fact, never read Cosmo.

Sure, he’s heard of it. But never in his life did he imagine that it’d be something that he’ll rely on to win the love of his life.

It was Monday again, and after the party last week, Tao has set up an emergency lunch meeting with their group to officially start their plan to woo Minseok.

“Why am I even here?” Kyungsoo mutters from his side of the table.

“Soo, this is like prime comedy material, we’ll be first in line when Jongdae becomes a walking disaster.”

Jongdae ignores his friends’ complaints as he looks across the table. He is honestly grateful, but he thinks the bulk of magazines that Tao has handed to him might be a little excessive. Maybe Tao and Sehun are taking this too far, being strategists of their team doesn’t mean they can apply those skills to Jongdae’s non-existent love life.

“Hyung, why is your face scrunched up like that?" Sehun asks as he hands Jongdae another batch of Cosmo magazines. Seriously just how many are these things? Did Tao and Sehun actually read all these magazines?

Jongdae warily eyes the magazine that Sehun handed to him, “ _His Butt: What the Size, Shape, and Pinchability of Those Sweet Cheeks Reveal About His True Self._ ”

“Is this really a good idea Sehun?”

Sehun nods, "Yes! Don't you know that Cosmo is selling like hot pancakes? That means it's effective!"

Baekhyun picks up the magazine nearest to him and snickers, " _Guy Butt Watch ’99_. Sounds totally effective."

Tao picks up the magazine and smacks Baekhyun's forehead, "Hyung, stop laughing at Cosmo! This is Dae-hyung's ticket to learn the basics of flirting!

Jongdae scowls at his friends, "I know how to flirt!"

“Not to burst your bubble, but I don't think staring at his office door until it combusts into flames counts as flirting," Kyungsoo interjects across the lunch table.

"That’s a fucking lie. I don’t stare at his office door all day!”

“Sure you aren't, remember that one-time Luhan hit you with the door because you were standing outside Minseok's office for hours?”

Baekhyun shrieks, "Oh my god, is that why Jongdae had that forehead bump for a week?! No wonder he didn't tell me where he got it from!"

Sometimes, Jongdae wishes he can set the office on fire, but since he can't, he just sighs in defeat.

“Alright Tao-tao, what do you have for me?”

* * *

**1\. Appeal to his interests.**

_The easiest way to get his attention is to talk about something he likes. Start off by talking about easy topics, his favorite food, drinks, or even that tv show that everyone seems to be into lately. It’ll be easy to learn more about your crush after successfully breaking the ice!_

Minseok looks at Jongdae as he hears the knocks on his office door. There's an adorable furrow in his eyebrows, indicating his confusion. Jongdae isn't surprised, it's not often that he's in the office so early in the morning. But after planning with Tao and Sehun on how to ask him out, he can't sleep for shit for days. So Jongdae decided to get it done while the adrenaline is still coursing through his veins.

Minseok flashes his gummy smile at him as he stops in front of his table, "Good morning, Jongdae. What can I help you with?"

Jongdae's stutters to a halt as he absorbs the 100-megawatt smile directed at him.

Maybe staying up late until 2 am wasn't the best decision, it's only 8 am, and Jongdae's brain isn't fully working yet. But he dismisses the thought immediately, he wanted to ask him out, and he knows he can only catch Minseok in the mornings since he is always out on meetings in the afternoon.

"Hyung."

Jongdae flashes him his Tao-approved smile™.

The younger man insists that he does that thing with his face when he smiles that scrunches up his eyes and accentuates his lips, making him even more irresistible. ( _"It’s proven and tested Hyung, don’t you notice how people just stare at you dumbly for a few minutes when you smile at them?"_ )

Jongdae isn’t quite sure what Tao is talking about, but he tries it out anyway. He doesn’t hear any reply, and when he looks at the older man, he notices that Minseok is just staring at him.

_Huh._

Is this what Tao is talking about? Jongdae feels a little giddy at the thought, but judging by the almost full coffee cup in his table, Jongdae thinks the coffee just hasn’t kicked in his system yet, so he waves his hand in front of him to catch his attention.

Minseok seems to snap out of his thoughts and coughs, “Yes?”

Jongdae takes a deep breath, _he can do this_.

He can be smooth.

He can ask somebody out.

He is totally capable of forming words.

"Coffee," Jongdae blurts out.

"Huh?" Minseok blinks at him.

He wants to smack himself, he just choked out the word coffee like a dumbass and didn’t even elaborate.

He frowns, “I mean-”

But then Minseok smiles at him in understanding and there’s a hopeful bloom in Jongdae’s chest, “Oh! Do you want some? I left a fresh pot in the pantry!"

“N-No, that’s not what I-”

Minseok’s phone rings and the older man looks at the device, “Shit, my meeting starts in 2 minutes. I gotta go Jongdae, see you!”

Then Minseok leaves Jongdae, not even noticing the forlorn expression on the latter's face as he rushes out of his office.

Jongdae slumps against the office chair.

_“Want to have coffee with me?”_

He can't even get 6 words out.

Dammit.

\--

“Hyung, I’m sorry I had the misfortune to witness that.”

“I know Tao, you don’t need to rub it in okay?”

* * *

**2\. Open up to him**

_We all like to feel needed. The reason is simple: if someone needs to ask for your advice, needs you to help them shift a bed, needs you to make them feel better, helping them makes you feel good about yourself. Feeling needed can also make someone insecure feel safe – people will be more inclined to open up to you. What better way to strengthen your relationship with some light emotional bonding?_

Jongdae sighs as he looks outside, he just wants to go home after such a long day at work. It’s not one of his best days, he was stuck working inside his office so that he can assist Yifan online while their president goes on an emergency business trip.

He’s been so busy taking care of the mess while Yifan is in transit, that he only had the chance to get up when he’s going to drink water and or have bathroom breaks.

The workload was fine, he’s handled more than enough emergencies to last a decade, but he’s been out of it lately. It's like the world decided to be a shit to him today - which translates to fucking up a critical email that that almost caused an international crisis, and Galaxy Enterprises losing one of their biggest, global clients.

God, he can’t wait to go home and tuck himself under his duvet while browsing Netflix. But now he can’t even go home, it’s raining cats and dogs, and he’s not sure what to do since Yifan picked him up from his house this morning. There aren’t many frequent cabs on this side of town at this time of night.

Walking home wasn’t even an option since he didn’t have his umbrella with him.

He didn’t even have the chance to see Minseok at all today, which makes the day even shittier. The last time he saw him was after the man scurried off to his meeting without even looking back at Jongdae.

“Stupid work, stupid Yifan,” he mutters as he kicks the small rocks on the pavement.

He continues to sulk in a corner, deciding that he’ll wait until the rain stops so that he can go home - when a familiar voice calls out to him.

“Dae?”

Jongdae jumps from where he’s sitting in the parking lot. Fuck- he’s not even done berating himself yet but somehow Minseok catches him again during one of his bad days.

It’s a welcomed surprise though.

He looks up and sees Minseok walking over to him, “Hi, Hyung.”

Minseok smiles at him as he swings his bag over his shoulder, Jongdae feels Minseok eyeing him with an unreadable look on his face. He feels his cheeks heat, he’s sure his hair looks like a bird’s nest with all the times he’s run his fingers through it.

Minseok smiles at him, and it feels like seeing an oasis after walking in a desert, “Rough day?”

Jongdae nods miserably, “You don’t even know the half of it.”

Minseok sits next to Jongdae where he's sitting on the pavement, and Jongdae tries not to squirm at the sudden body heat next to him. Minseok softly bumps his shoulder with Jongdae, flashing him a friendly smile, “Sorry to hear that. Heard Yifan had to suddenly fly out because of a crisis back in Beijing.”

“Yeah, there were some leaked photos that needed to be covered up before the press had a field day about it.”

“Celebrity or politician?” Minseok asks because everyone in the office knows that it’s only the VIP clients that can take their president overseas during a crisis.

“Politician.”

Minseok makes a face, “Ugh, that's rough.”

Jongdae only nods in reply, he may look like shit, but it’s nice to have someone to vent to when it has been a rough day.

“So care to tell me why you’re here sulking instead of resting at home already?”

There’s a 2-second beat where Jongdae wonders if he can totally act suave and cool - contemplating if he can pull the cool guy act and tell he’s just contemplating life and shit.

He can’t tell Minseok that he’s a pathetic loser who can’t even get himself home.

It was totally a good plan, Sehun told him that sometimes acting aloof makes people chase them more. Except that decision was taken right out of his dead hands when his stomach rumbles loudly.

Jongdae feels his cheeks going beet-red as Minseok snorts at him.

Minseok stands from where he’s sitting and shakes off the non-existent dust on his pants. He turns to Jongdae and offers his hand. Jongdae tries to act cool as he takes it, pretending not to be dying inside ( _"Holy fuck I got to hold his hand, it’s so warm and soft what the fuck"_ ) as Minseok pulls him up.

“Tell you what Jongdae, how about you tell me all about it over dinner and I give you a lift home?”

Jongdae looks up in surprise, “Hyung, you don’t need to, your house is-”

Minseok cuts him off as he holds Jongdae’s bags for him, “Come on, your ramen is on me. Gotta make sure the company’s sweetheart doesn’t faint on my watch.”

Jongdae feels like crying, he’s so tired and hungry, his legs feel like lead, but Minseok is here again and sweeps him off his feet for the nth time.

Minseok opens the door for him, and Jongdae feels like swooning, his hyung is such a gentleman. After sitting in the passenger seat, Minseok leans over Jongdae to buckle him in, and his breath catches in his throat at the proximity; he has his face pressed to the side of Minseok’s chest, the scent of his cologne flood Jongdae’s nostrils, and his head spins at how good the older man smells.

He’s almost dizzy when Minseok finally pulls away and shuts the door before rounding the car to get to the driver’s seat.

Jongdae thinks it’s going to be the best (worse) dinner of his life.

\--

The dinner was _heavenly_ , Minseok took him to this small noodle shop downtown owned by a Japanese couple. Jongdae was disappointed with himself that he didn’t get to find the place sooner. The taste for each bowl was really quite something else, Jongdae couldn’t help but moan a little as he tasted the spicy, flavourful soup served in his ramen.

Jongdae’s orgasmic experience was cut when he notices Minseok suddenly coughs across him, “You okay, Hyung?”

The older man fidgets, “Y-yeah, the noodles went in the wrong pipe suddenly-”

Minseok’s face is still beet red, and Jongdae thinks that maybe the soup was too spicy for the man.

He offers his glass of water, “Take this Hyung, it looks like you need it more than I do.”

Hours pass by, and Jongdae didn’t even realize that they’ve been talking for hours until one of the waiters tells them that they’re closing soon.

There’s a comfortable silence between them as Minseok drives him to his apartment. Jongdae feels content and blissful with his tummy full and the soft piano tunes playing in the background. When Minseok pulls up in front of his apartment, Jongdae turns to Minseok.

“Hyung, thank you.”

Minseok just smiles at him, and honestly, he wishes the night could’ve ended up like this. It would’ve been one of the best nights of Jongdae’s life, and before he leaves, he briefly debated with himself if kissing Minseok’s cheeks would’ve been too forward.

Except the older man managed to shatter his dreams in one word.

“Anything for my dongsaeng.”

_Dongsaeng._

Ugh.

Back to the drawing board with Tao and Sehun then.

* * *

**3\. Keep Texting**

_Having his number is practically a shortcut already. Text them about the last random conversation you had in your office. It can be even as mundane as shop talk, or even a random inside office joke. Your first text should not signify that you are interested in them. On the contrary, it should act as a way of being friends with them. Relationship experts claim that keeping your crush thinking about you is the best way of developing a bond right away._

_A good way of getting them to text you is to ask them about the new coffee shop that your officemates frequent, or if you're close enough, you can always share secret jokes._

Despite the “Dongsaeng” incident, Jongdae is still over the moon as he keeps on thinking about the dinner ‘date’ he had with Minseok.

_“Was it really a date if he called you his dongsaeng?”_

_“It was obviously a bro-date, nothing sexy or romantic at all.”_

_“That’s exactly the reason why he’s sulking and planning another way to seduce Minnie-hyung.”_

_“Sehun and Tao should’ve brought more donuts if they’re planning to camp in our office more often then.”_

_“Soo and Chanyeol, I love you both, but please kindly fuck off.”_

The only thing that made up for that tragic ending was the fact that he finally got Minseok’s personal number. The older man had offered it to him over dinner. Minseok told him that Jongdae can always contact him when he needs a ride home, even insisting that Jongdae call him instead of taking a cab on his own.

It shouldn’t be a big deal since Jongdae already had Minseok’s number before. But it is because this time the man offered his personal number. Back then, Jongdae only had his work mobile, and he didn’t really have any excuse to talk to him outside of office hours.

Of course, Jongdae told his friends all about it, even bragging that he didn’t have to beg for it this time.

“Well, have you texted him yet?” Baekhyun asks as soon as Jongdae tells him the big news this morning.

Jongdae stares at Baekhyun as if the man has grown another head. His friend sighs, “Seriously?”

“It's a work in progress!” Jongdae explains, he just needs to text at the right time. Minseok is a busy man, and he didn’t want to intrude too much.

“Sure, whatever you say Jongdae. Good luck with texting.”

\--

Jongdae’s brief conversation with Baekhyun left him restless. Should I text him now? What would he say? He’s read this article in Cosmo about texting after 3 days-

As he keeps on thinking about what to tell Minseok, Jongdae is hit with the realization that he might, in fact, be terrible at small talk. If he isn’t talking about work he wouldn’t know how to open up a topic over text.

Perhaps Tao can offer him some advice on how to break the ice via text messaging, except that Tao and Sehun just left for a meeting and Jongdae wants to send a text now before his courage leaves him altogether.

He suddenly remembers this ad he saw from the magazine that just might break the ice.

Jongdae gleefully smiles as he types out his most genius move yet. He’s totally got this in the bag.

Take that Cosmo.

\--

From the other side of the office, Chanyeol whispers to Kyungsoo, “Is Jongdae okay?”

“It happens thrice a week, you get used to it.”

\--

“Jongdae, you’re sulking again.”

“Shut the fuck up Soo, I’m not.”

“You definitely are, you haven’t even touched the Melon bread Yifan-hyung bought for you. Aren’t those your favorites?”

Okay, so maybe he was pouting a little bit.

But can anyone blame him? He’s been waiting for Minseok’s reply, but he got left on fucking read instead. Was Minseok leading him on? He didn’t think the older man would be cruel like that.

Then he panics, was he laying it a bit too thick? Maybe he shouldn’t be so forward-

The door slams open and Tao enters their office.

“Tao, please don’t barge in like that, if that thing breaks I’ll be taking that out of your paycheck,” Kyungsoo remarks.

Tao pouts, “Sorry Soo-hyung, I heard our favorite boy next door is sulking and I wanted to know what was up.”

Jongdae jumps from his seat as he hugs his favorite Chinese officemate (Sorry Yifan), “Tao-tao, Minseok isn’t replying to me!”

“Huh?”

“I made progress right? I got his number all on my own! But maybe texting isn’t the right way to woo Minseok! I mean, it’s been three days, but no word from him yet! And I haven’t even seen him since he’s out on a business trip! But he definitely read it! What if-”

“Hyung, can you calm down? How about you share with me first what your message was?”

He wordlessly hands Tao his phone after opening his message thread with Minseok.

  1. _To meet a gorgeous, funny guy, press 1_
  2. _To date him, press 2_
  3. _For the date to have a happy ending, press 3_



_If you want to make it real, press my number._

Jongdae thinks he should be offended when Tao bursts into tears after reading his message.

“What? Is it that bad?”

Tao engulfs him in a hug, propping his chin on top of Jongdae’s head, “Oh my god Hyung, it’s really a good thing you’re so pretty. But I beg you, next time you try to do this, please remember to tell me first.”

\--

Later, when Jongdae asks Minseok about it, the older man replies, “Oh, that was from you? I deleted the message because I thought it was some sketchy customer service ad! You should’ve introduced yourself!”

Jongdae feels like crying, he really should’ve waited for Tao to come back first.

* * *

**4\. M'Lady**

_Pick-up lines are a classic way to get someone’s attention, but sometimes it gets a little bit overused when you’ve been in the dating arena for too long. So we conducted a survey on the most creative, never heard pick-up lines! Here’s the most creative, and attention-grabbing one we heard: “Look them in the eyes, slowly lick your lips, then lean in close and whisper 'G'evening M'lady' while tipping your fedora.”_

It’s almost Halloween, and Junmyeon, the Halloween enthusiast that he is, has managed to bully Yifan in throwing a party again to advertise their company.

So of course, Tao and Sehun have made it their mission to use the party for Jongdae to woo Minseok. This time, it was Sehun who gathered everyone inside Jongdae’s and Kyungsoo’s office. He claims they’re hitting two birds with one stone, they can plan their next move, and also their costumes.

It was kind of amazing to see Sehun reciting the fedora hat line with a straight face, given that Chanyeol burst into giggles right after and Jongdae watched in fascination as Kyungsoo's whole body shuddered, "Hearing that made me feel all kinds of wrong, and I'm gonna need to take an hour-long shower to wash off the feeling."

Junmyeon nods sympathetically, he’s been talking with Kyungsoo earlier when the rest of their friends suddenly burst through their office. “Was that from Cosmo? Because I’m gonna file a complaint for that.”

"Hey, it could totally work! Plus it goes with Jongdae-hyung's costume for tonight's party!" Sehun protests.

Baekhyun looks at Jongdae wearing some sort of manic grin, "Please don’t tell me you’re wearing a fedora hat for tonight’s party.”

Jongdae wasn't entirely sure whether Baekhyun is against or supportive of the idea, so he just grins at him in response. Before this impromptu meeting, Sehun already texted him with the suggestion to wear a fedora hat. He didn't really have time to plan anything elaborate, so he just accepted Sehun's suggestion and moved on.

There’s a bunch of different reactions across the room after Jongdae responds.

He sees Junmyeon’s left eyebrow twitch, “Jongdae _no_ \- you’ll look like an asshole."

“Jongdae’s already an asshole, he doesn’t need a fedora hat for that,” Baekhyun helpfully supplies.

Someone from the room interrupts, Jongdae thinks it might be Chanyeol, “The fedora hat is the least of Jongdae’s problems, this whole set up screams straight-up creep."

"Are you really sure about this, Jongdae?" Junmyeon asks. At this point, Jongdae thinks Junmyeon just really hates fedora hats in general.

He nods.

Sehun beams, "See? We love a man with determination! Besides, what's the worst that could happen?

"I don't know, Minseok-hyung calling the cops?" Kyungsoo fires back.

"Well, that's not a no at least," Sehun argues.

"-okay but NOT that we want that to happen." Jongdae cries. He's feeling a little bit nervous now given the varying degrees of comments from his friends.

"You're being generous here, I’m sure Minseok can chokeslam Jongdae as soon as he gives off the bad touch vibes," Chanyeol adds.

The tall man's comment did not help calm Jongdae's nerves in the slightest.

Kyungsoo sighs, “Look, this shit is the most ridiculous plan you've had yet. Do you really have to do this?"

"But our plan has been going well so far! Look at Jongdae-hyung, he's been like that ever since Minseok texted him this morning."

"Hey, I can still hear you assholes." He checks his phone to soothe his nerves, and he notices that Minseok has sent him a message. He clicks the notification and sees that it’s a picture of his cat, Tan. Jongdae sends a cat meme in return since he doesn't have any cat photos of his own that he can trade with.

He grins stupidly at his phone when he sees that Minseok sent him a bunch of laughing emojis, and a selca of him and his Tan, claiming that they're judging them from afar for his meme skills.

He saves Minseok's selfie and takes a photo in return. It's a blurry shot of his friends as they continue to fight over his costume. As he looked at the photo he took, his group of friends were already at the chaotic argument stage. Sehun can be seen waving the fedora hat in question.

 **JD:**  
[attached image]  
My friends are way too invested for the costume party tomorrow.

 **Minnie-seok:**  
Oh shit, is the party already tomorrow?

 **JD:**  
Yeah, have you forgotten? Are you not going?

 **Minnie-seok** :  
I forgot, there was an emergency at home :(

 **JD:**  
What’s wrong? Are you okay?

 **Minnie-seok:**  
Tan got into an accident and had to get stitches ㅠㅠ  
I need to monitor my baby so that I can watch over her. Any sudden movement might pull those stitches :(

  
 **JD:**  
I can come over tomorrow night if you like, help you out if you need to.

 **Minnie-seok:**  
What!!!  
You don’t need to! Attend the party with your friends!

 **JD:**  
Hyung, I want to.

 **Minnie-seok:**  
I don’t want you to miss a party just because of my problems though :(

 **JD:**  
It’s not that important, Junmyeon-hyung always manages to bully Yifan every time he wants an event, there will be hundreds more. And, it’s the least I could do for you. You’re always helping me out.

I want to return the favor.

(Besides, anything not to wear Sehun's fedora hat)

 **Minnie-seok:**  
Omygod, what have you done in your past life to experience such tragedy as that godforsaken hat?

 **JD:**  
Don't ask how it reached this level. But see? It's a win-win. I can help you out, and also escape the tragedy of the cursed hat.

 **Minnie-seok:**  
I see how it is, you're just using me to escape your ill future. Is that right?  
Alright then, I could really use a helping hand.  
Tan has been restless lately.

  
 **JD:**  
Sure, I’ll text you.  
Do you want me to bring anything that can help you and Tan out?

 **Minnie-seok:**  
No, you being here is enough :)

\--

Jongdae blushes as he looks at Minseok's last message, trying to not to get too worked up about Minseok being randomly sweet on him again. But his heart is weak, and he knows he’s failing.

Jongdae can’t help but hate Minseok a little bit. The man is so fucking smooth sometimes, doesn’t he realize that it’s doing things to his weak little heart?

He closes his phone, trying to keep his face straight. He doesn’t want to give himself away, or else Baekhyun wouldn’t let him hear the end of it.

He tugs at Tao’s sleeve to catch his attention, who looks so engrossed in his conversation with Junmyeon.

When Tao looks at him, he just says that the fedora hat for the party will no longer be necessary.

“Something happened, I can smell it,” Tao says.

Jongdae stares at Tao dead in the eyes, trying not to give himself away. He knows he should tell Tao something about his progress with Minseok but he's trying not give himself too much hope, and involving Tao at this stage might make him assume too much, “Something came up, so I won’t be able to go to the party.”

“Hyung, you don't have to try so hard to sound apologetic. I can see the stupid grin you’re trying to hide from your face. I'm gonna let this one slide, but I expect details once you’re ready to share it with the class.”

Jongdae nods, he appreciates that his friend doesn’t call him out on it too much, “Of course Tao-tao, you’d be the first to know.”

“I’d be offended if you didn’t.”

\--

Since Jongdae doesn’t know shit about being a pet owner, he figured bringing some catnip, toys, and cat treats will help calm Tan down. It's not a crime to be too ready, especially since Minseok called him an hour before, warning him that his Tannie is still being restless, and his large furry best friend tends to hiss at any stranger in her territory that isn’t Minseok.

Armed with battle gear, Jongdae offered that he can watch over Tan while Minseok takes a shower. The older man looked so harried that he was glad he offered to drop by in the first place.

Jongdae tries to ignore the obvious fact that Minseok is naked just a few feet away from him, so he sits on the couch and rummages his bag for a cat-friendly treat for Tan in an attempt to distract himself. Tan is not hissing at him yet so he thinks giving out treats as a peace offering will do the trick.

30 minutes later, he discovers that Tan is apparently a very, very cuddly cat.

Minseok comes back still toweling his hair and finds them in the living room with Tan sleeping at Jongdae’s lap, “Tan is such a freaking traitor.”

Jongdae just grins as he strokes the feline’s luxurious fur. If he won the heart of such a grumpy creature, he hopes that winning the heart of his adorable owner will soon follow. “Tan’s just a little biased since I brought the fun stuff while you were off giving her medicines all day.”

Minseok huffs and sits beside Jongdae on the couch, close enough that their thighs brush against each other, "Somebody has to be the strict parent around here."

“Does that mean I’m the fun dad?” Jongdae teases. He hopes Minseok doesn’t notice how his voice cracked a little. He’s trying to ignore the strawberry scent from Minseok’s shampoo, why does he smell so fucking good all the time?

“It’s your first meeting with Tan, it’ll take at least four more visits before you’re at the parent level.”

“Is that your subtle way of asking me to come over more often?”

“Only if you bring more cat treats for Tan.”

“You just want me for my gifts, huh.”

“Tan does, but her dad doesn't mind the company too.”

Before Jongdae could respond, his stomach rumbled loudly, interrupting their moment, _again_.

It was loud enough for Minseok to hear because the older man giggled afterward. Jongdae would be annoyed except it saved him from telling something embarrassing after Minseok’s flirty(?) remark.

Minseok smiles at him, “Alright, since you’re currently ‘incapacitated’, how about we order something in and we watch some movies for tonight?”

“Deal.”

\--

Later that night, Jongdae receives a bunch of photos from Tao during Yifan’s Halloween party. It was chaotic, half of the photos in the group chat were so blurry, Jongdae was sort of confused that Tao managed to even send them. From what he saw, it was Baekhyun who wore the fedora hat. It would’ve been horrifying, but the pretty bastard was able to pull it off.

He would’ve been envious, except that he’s got two cats snuggling with him on the couch, one is sleeping soundly on his lap, while the other kitty-looking one fell asleep on his shoulder halfway through the movie.

Jongdae gazes at Minseok’s sleeping face so close to his and thinks that he could get used to this.

* * *

**5\. Initiate skinship.**

_Guys definitely notice it when someone reaches out and touches them. Spoiler alert: They freaking love it, especially if it's from someone they’re interested in. So lay your hands on his arms when you’re trying to make a point._

_Trust us, he’ll definitely pay attention to you._

Jongdae thinks that he really should’ve turned down the alcohol offered to him by their client. But it’s a little hard to say no when he just bagged the biggest contract they’re eyeing on for months now. Yifan would whoop his ass if he hears Jongdae let some measly alcohol ruin all the things they’ve worked hard for.

But now he’s currently regretting all his choices in his life since he’s trying to stand on his own two feet, but failing miserably.

There’s a grunt from his left and a soft, yet harried voice calls out to him, “Jongdae, we’re almost at the couches. Don’t die on me now.”

Jongdae gets slightly alarmed at the voice, except that he remembers Minseok attending the event with him, and he feels warm and slightly embarrassed at the fact that he couldn’t even hold his liquor around the guy he likes.

Minseok dislodges himself with a slight ‘ _ooof_ ’ from Jongdae’s arms, and as Jongdae feels the soft surface underneath him, he realizes that Minseok deposited him in one of the nice-looking couches far away from the dance floor.

Jongdae leans his head on Minseok’s shoulder as he tries to stop his vision from spinning. “Hyung, what would I do without youuuu~”

He feels the shoulder he's leaning on shake a little from laughter, “Die, probably.”

Jongdae nuzzles closer to Minseok, placing his nose close to the man’s neck. Minseok always smells so fucking good. It isn’t fair.

“That’s right, how could I ever survive?” He breathes.

Minseok places his hand in Jongdae’s knee, “Hey, you still doing okay? Sounds like I need to drive you home now.”

Jongdae thinks he’s totally fine, especially with the way Minseok keeps adding these little touches that make his brain go wild. Feeling bold because of the alcohol, he holds Minseok’s hands on his knee and intertwines their fingers together.

“Minseokkie~ I’m feeling _amazing_ , especially because you’re here.” He looks up and puts his mouth near Minseok’s ear. “You know, if you wanted to take me home, you totally should’ve just asked, because I would’ve said yes in a heartbeat. “

In a matter of seconds, the warm feeling on his stomach goes cold as he feels Minseok going stiff beside him. He feels like a bucket of cold water was splashed on him as he recalls what he said earlier.

Did he fuck up?

He pulls his hands away, and tries to stand, “Hyung, I’m sorry about that, I guess I need some fresh air to clear my head.”

At this point, his walk would look a lot more dignified if he was able to walk a straight line. “Whoa, hey,” Minseok grabs his wrists and tries to placate him. “It’s okay Dae, I don’t really mind all the touching. We’re close friends anyway.”

Right at that moment, Jongdae feels like he’s been struck with lightning.

_Friends._

It’s always that damned word that keeps biting him in the ass. He feels himself getting agitated, and the alcohol in his veins isn’t helping him to calm down, so the words were right out of his mouth before he can even think things through.

“Friends?! After all this time? I don’t want to be friends with you!” Jongdae snaps and pulls away from Minseok the second time that night.

Minseok’s face falls, and he looks down at his feet, “You don’t?” He asks in a small voice, sounding so hurt it clenches Jongdae’s heart.

God, he’s the worst, he is doing it all _wrong_.

Minseok shuffles a little, “I thought everything is going so well between us. Is there something I’ve done?”

“No, I mean-”

“You’re one of my best friends in the office, Jongdae." Minseok smiles at him, and Jongdae just wants to hug him because he can see just how forced it was. "I guess it’s been one-sided all along.”

Jongdae stares at him, because that’s how it’s been all along, hasn’t it?

One-sided.

He’s been pining for Minseok for a while now, and he feels his heart cracking a little at the thought that maybe, he’s just been an assuming brat all along. He takes a deep breath, realizing he has been trying all the tricks in the book, only for Minseok to recognize him as a 'friend'.

But Jongdae needs to do this. He has to take the risk. He may end up being heartbroken, but he figures Minseok is worth that risk. It’s a Friday night, if he ends up getting rejected, he can just stuff himself with food as he nurses his broken heart during the weekend.

Jongdae feels his stomach churn. He’s Yifan's main strategist, he is known to take calculated risks for every plan and campaign they make setting metrics to ensure that they have a plan B in case his plan A fails.

But for the first time in a long while, he finds himself taking a gamble for something he isn’t quite sure of the outcome.

He decides to push through. He can’t make himself go through this any longer, he doesn’t know what he’ll do if he finds himself staring longingly when someone asks Minseok out again. Holding his breath every time as Minseok considers every confession he receives, praying to all the Gods he knows that his Hyung will reject them just like he did with all his previous suitors.

He needs to try before Minseok starts asking him for dating tips and unknowingly breaks Jongdae’s heart in the process.

God, he’ll punch someone first before Kyungsoo throws his pitying looks at him.

“Sehun and Tao got me a Cosmo subscription.”

Minseok stares at him, “Uhh- that’s great?”

Jongdae panics and hopes that his face isn’t going bright red. He knows this isn’t how big reveals in dramas are supposed to go. He isn’t even sure how things went downhill so fast in the blink of an eye.

“I mean, this is the first time I’ve to ask anyone out in such a long time, and I wanted-," he sighs. He puts his glass down before he drops it. "Sehun and Tao advised that Cosmo would help me ask you out on dates, and _oh my god_ \- why am I saying this to you? _Fuck._ I should go-”

Jongdae’s almost out of the door when Minseok catches him by the wrist for the second time that night, “Jongdae, please wait!” He turns to look at the older man, whose face is breaking out into a smile.

“You mean you’ve been Cosmo-ing me for the past few months?” Minseok begins laughing, and Jongdae wishes that Santa can just swoop in to steal him away, or for the chandelier to fall on him to save him from this misery.

He tries to shake off Minseok’s grip, trying to escape, but Minseok is too fucking strong, and he’s a little bit on the tipsy side tonight.

Jongdae frowns at him, “Hyung, you could just reject me you know, there’s no need to fucking mock me-”

But he gets interrupted as Minseok pulls Jongdae closer to him. He throws his arms around Jongdae’s and begins to kiss him senseless. His lips part in surprise and Minseok -the smooth motherfucker- takes the opportunity to sneak his tongue inside Jongdae’s mouth, and he feels his knees shake at the sensation. Jongdae tries to touch Minseok back, but he pulls away, biting his lower lip for a moment as he goes.

“I’ve been wanting to do that since Day 1,” Minseok whispers as he traces down Jongdae’s cheekbones with his soft fingers. “I know you were slightly interested in me back when you cornered me during our first lunch together..and I would’ve said something. But Luhan has warned me about you, and I didn’t want to be just another conquest of yours."

_"Godfuckingdammit Luhan."_

Minseok smiles at him, his hands have started to wander, softly caressing the hair at the nape of his neck, "I wanted this job for months, and I didn’t want to establish myself as just another notch on your bedpost.”

He begins carding his fingers through Jongdae’s hair, “And then I chickened out of asking you about it afterward because while you are the most beautiful man I’ve ever had the privilege to meet, hook-ups were never my thing you know?” he adds with a smile. “I figured you’d break my heart in the long run. So I decided to become your friend instead, I mean sure, it’ll hurt a bit seeing you date someone else considering the reputation that Luhan told me about you, but then you never did. And then suddenly we started hanging out more, and I was totally fine with that…except now I feel my heart race every time you smile at me.”

“I don’t want to date anyone else that isn’t you,” Jongdae interrupts. “My feelings for you are way past the bro-zone.”

He feels a little braver and clutches Minseok sides, pulling their bodies closer. “Sehun and Tao kept sending me all these articles about gifts-”

“Wait, was it you who keeps sending me coffee beans and One Piece action figures?”

Jongdae scowls, “It said to appeal to your interests!”

Minseok kisses his cheek, “Oh my god you are so cute!” Minseok tugs Jongdae close as he leans their foreheads against each other. “I didn’t realize you could be so dedicated, and I really, really appreciate this weird courtship dance that Sehun and Tao have roped you into. If I wasn’t being such a dumbass, we could’ve been making out a lot sooner.”

Jongdae touches Minseok’s lips with his left thumb, “We can still remedy that you know.”

“Of course, Dae.”

“Hyung,” Jongdae whispers, his lips hovering just above Minseok, “I really, really, like you. Will you give me the privilege of taking you out on a date?”

Minseok grins at him, “You’re being very forward, did Cosmo teach you that too? What would Sehun and Tao say?"

“Hyung, please.”

“Hm, hold on, will you stop giving me those One Piece figurines if I say yes? Because there’s one more series that I still need to complete-”

Jongdae interrupts him with a kiss, promising to get all the action figures Minseok will ask of him after their first date.

\--

The plan to keep their relationship low-key gets busted when Tao screeches after catching them making out inside the pantry. Later on, he cries with Sehun and promises to plan their wedding, telling everyone that guests will be given a Cosmo subscription as their souvenirs.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this mess of a fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
